There is much to admire in the first half of Bress’s film as a feeling of impending doom surrounds us as the house slowly comes alive, consuming all those held in its walls. However, this terror is also matched by a feeling that each soldier neither fits nor reflects the period they inhabit, as their dialogue jars with the 1940s location, leaving us somewhat confused as we march toward the film’s final twist. Ghosts of War is available to stream and buy from 17th July 2020 on all major platforms.
Horror films exploring the interface between war, trauma, violence, and the supernatural are nothing new, from the sublime The Devil’s Backbone (2001) to the stark and uncompromising Jacob’s Ladder (1990). However, in recent years, horror has struggled to reflect the terrors of war in a manner befitting the complexity of the human experience. Instead, horror has opted to bring us war-based zombie flicks and gore-filled stories lacking vision, bite, and creativity. Therefore, Ghosts of War starts from an exciting premise as writer/director Eric Bress dovetails the human horror of war with a classic haunted house tale.
Haunted by a series of strange dreams, a young G.I. Chris (Brenton Thwaites) leads his small troop of soldiers through occupied France. The year is 1944, and the Second World War is nearing its end, with his troop of beleaguered fighters weary of the bloodshed and trauma despite the outward bravado of Butchie (Alan Ritchson) and the trophy-hunting mentality of Tappert (Kyle Gallner). As Chris and his men near their next checkpoint, a grand Chateau once owned by a wealthy French family, a respite from the bloodshed and violence finally comes into view. However, as they arrive, the troop of soldiers they are due to replace is jittery and eager to leave.
The grand surroundings of the Chateau are covered with dust, and the building creaks and moans in a startling and unnerving way. However, despite the fear of the soldiers before them, Chris and his men quickly settle into the comfort of their surroundings – the horrors of the house and its recent history quiet and undisturbed until the sun disappears over the horizon.
There is much to admire in the first half of Bress’s film as a feeling of impending doom surrounds us as the house slowly comes alive, consuming all those held in its walls. There is a well-crafted sense of terror that threads through the first and second acts, as the soldiers realise they are not alone, as the ghosts of their own pasts slowly wake. However, this terror is also matched by a feeling that each soldier neither fits nor reflects the period they inhabit, as their dialogue jars with the 1940s location, leaving us somewhat confused as we march toward the film’s final twist.
However, when this final twist arrives, it’s a step too far, as the terror of the first two acts is replaced by a misjudged science fiction-oriented finale. As a horror movie, Ghosts of War embraces the tried and tested jump scares of the classic haunted house picture, but as a science fiction movie, its conclusion feels under-baked. However, in a world where innovation in horror can be lacking, Ghosts of War does deserve praise for trying to delve deeper into the psychological effects of war, even if the result is clumsy.
Director: Eric Bress
Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Theo Rossi, Kyle Gallner, Skylar Astin, Alan Ritchson, Billy Zane
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